MAP: Most Black Forest residents allowed back home

What do the different evacuation statuses mean? Think: Ready, set, go!
Pre-Evacuation (yellow) - No immediate threat, but the danger may be moving closer; Prepare for possible evacuation. The El Paso County Sheriff's Office (@EPCSheriff) tweeted this clarification: PREEVACUATION means...

What do the different evacuation statuses mean? Think: Ready, set, go!

Pre-Evacuation (yellow) - No immediate threat, but the danger may be moving closer; Prepare for possible evacuation. The El Paso County Sheriff's Office (@EPCSheriff) tweeted this clarification: PREEVACUATION means there is no immediate danger to your home, family, or business, but the fire may be moving toward you.

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Voluntary Evacuation (blue) - The danger is moving closer and a mandatory order may be issued at any time. Officials say you do not need to wait for a mandatory order before leaving.

Mandatory Evacuation (red) - Leave now. You will not be allowed to return until after the threat has passed.

UPDATE (5 p.m. Wednesday, June 19)

El Paso County Sheriff's Office: Homes with Highway 83 addresses and DIRECT access from Highway 83 have been downgraded to pre-evacuation status.

UPDATE (8 p.m. Tuesday, June 18)

Sheriff Maketa downgrades two new areas of Mandatory Evacuation to Pre-Evacuation Status The following roads south of Shoup Rd. between Milam Road and Holmes Road are now on pre-evacuation status and residents can go home. Resident must access the area through Milam Road to Shoup Road.

- Donavan Lane
- Casey Lane
- South side of Glenridge Lane
- Addresses on the south side of Shoup Road between Milam Road and Holmes Road

Clair Lane has also been downgraded to pre-evacuation status. Residents can return home via Black Forest Road to Shoup Road.

Residents trying to reenter will need to show their driver’s license or registration. Residents are encouraged to leave heavy equipment alone. Please do not remove the flags on your property.

UPDATE (3:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 18)

Sheriff temporarily opens additional area north of Shoup Road and east of Black Forest Road to RESIDENTS ONLY from 4-7 p.m.

FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE: The Sheriff hopes to reopen the area permanently within the next two days.

Residents need to enter at one of the following checkpoints:
Shoup Rd. and Black Forest Rd.
Black Forest Rd. and Connaught Dr.
Vollmer Rd. and Shoup Rd.
Vollmer Rd. and Kirk Dr.

Residents will receive a reentry packet and a placard for your car at the checkpoints. Residents reentering will need to show their driver’s license, I.D. or vehicle registration. No trailers or R.V.’s will be permitted. Residents are required to leave heavy equipment alone. Please do not remove the flags on your property. Those are a signal to first responders the area has been cleared for reentry.

UPDATE (2 p.m. Tuesday, June 18)

Cathedral Pines was downgraded to pre-evacuation status as of 2 p.m. From Burgess, access Milam Road north to the neighborhood. Avoid Shoup Road, since it remains partially closed.

At 11 a.m., people who live east of Vollmer Road and north of Burgess Road will be able to back home. The mandatory evacuation zones in that area will be downgraded to pre-evacuation zones at that time.

Residents can access the area from any of the following roads - Walker, Murphy, Hodgen, Latigo, Vollmer, Raygor and Meridian. People re-entering have to show driver's license, I.D. or registration.

The county also announced that a "re-entry supplies and first aid station" will be open to residents from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the School in the Woods, 12002 Vollmer Road.

UPDATE (8 p.m. Monday, June 17)

Another area of Black Forest that had been under mandatory evacuation orders was downgraded to pre-evacuation status by El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa.

The following roads north of Shoup Road and west of Tahosa Lane were opened: Abert Way, Kaibab Court, Oak Cliff Way, Briddle Bit Road, Morris Trail, Kakatosi Lane and west of Tahosa Lane to Kakatosi Lane.

Tahosa Lane is not open as part of the new downgrades, the sheriff’s office said via Twitter.

UPDATE (10:30 a.m. Monday, June 17):

New areas of Mandatory Evacuation have been downgraded to Pre-Evacuation Status. Most areas north of Hodgen Rd. are now under pre-evacuation.

To include (areas now under pre-evacuation):
• South of Walker Rd.
• East of Bar X Rd. and Highland Estates Rd.
• North of Hodgen Rd.
• West of Winchester Rd.
• North side of Morgan Rd.
• North side of Hardy Rd.

This does not include the areas east of Winchester Rd., south of Morgan Rd. and south of Hardy Rd. Including the following roads north of Hodgen Rd:
(areas north of Hodgen Rd. still under mandatory evacuation)
• Remington Rd.
• Rifle Terrace
• West Goshawk Rd.
• East Goshawk Rd.
• Albert Ridge View

Residents trying to reenter will need to show their driver’s license or registration. Residents are encouraged to leave heavy equipment alone. Please do not remove the flags on your property. Those are a signal to first responders the area has been cleared for reentry.

Residents need to use the following reentry points:
• From the west – use Hodgen Rd. or Walker Rd.
• From the east – use Evans Rd. or McCune Rd.
• From the north – use County Line Rd. to Black Forest Rd. or Meridian Rd.

Meridian Rd. North of Hodgen Rd. is now open.

UPDATE (8:30 p.m Sunday, June 16): More homeowners are being allowed to return to their houses tonight. Four areas were downgraded to pre-evacuation status, meaning homeowners can get into the area with identification.

They are:

-- Area between Highland Estates Drive west to Black Forest Road, from Walker Road on the north to Hodgen Road on the south.

-- A large area west of Vollmer Road from Hodgen Road south to just south of Kirk Drive, then a line west along Wildridge Road, just south of Basin Drive across Black Forest Road and continuing to just south of Country Estates Lane and turning northwest to connect with current boundary.

-- A small area just east of Highway 83, including Abert Way and Chickaree Lane.

-- Area between Shoup Road south to Burgess Road, from Howells Road east to Vollmer Road. Shoup Road remains closed because of emergency vehicles in the area. Residents of Shoup Road, Casey Lane, Glenridge Lane and Clear Lane will not be allowed access to their homes off of Shoup.

UPDATE (6 p.m. Saturday, June 15): The change from Mandatory to pre-evacuation opens at 8 p.m. Saturday: The area north of Hodgen Rd. and west of Black Forest Rd., and areas north of Walker Rd. High Forest Ranch will also be downgraded to preevacuation status at 8pm. Highway 83, Walker Road and Meridian Road remain closed. The rest of the mandatory evacuation areas remain.